Life and Times of Maximum Ride
by Jadare
Summary: A thought without reason, a betrayal without treason… My last days, my last and final notch in this stick we call a life. To save the world and those I love no matter the cost. For I am, after all, the great Maximum Ride! FAX REWRITE
1. My Life

Sunrises… A new beginning, it's symbolic truth simply screamed out the birth of yet another day… Fortunately, for me this day seemed pleasant enough. With a quiet beginning and me sitting here watching daylight unfurl. Not to mention me being alive… and not tested on.

My current flock consisted a tree full of kids, a yappy dog- which by the way did I mention snores like a bear?- and me, their fearless leader. Sure, I portrayed fearless. And from all my flock knows, I may have really been the most fearless any leaders my age could ever get. But I still held fear… lots of it! And most of it was directed toward the one thing I could never live though, the loss of my flock. So was I truly fearless?

_You are fearless… just remember that's not always a good thing._

My voice.

Not _my _voice.

To put correctly, The Voice.

It tortured me, yet helped, in its own strange little way. I chose to ignore it's comment as I scanned the tree:

One: Total… our small taking mutt that tagged along for the joy ride. I will admit when I first met him, I guess you could say, I was not too fond of the stray. But as chatty as he is, and I'm talking literally here, like full blown words, you kinda find a small sense of originality in holding conversations with a dog. Not like any of us craved originality, trust me we have enough of that, but it still was worth carting that dog around. Plus it kept Angel happy.

Speaking of two: Angel, the youngest one… may also be titled as "my baby." With hair as gold as the sun itself and wings as angelic as her name… (Yes, wings… all of us have em' and trust me it's a long story… Summary? School sucks! And the white coats are psychotic.) She giggled slightly in her sleep, having some pleasant unknown dream. As long as she found solitude in her dreams there was still hope.

Three: Gazzy, my little fart-head… literally. That little boy has something severely twisted in his digestive tract, not that his power bombs aren't useful from really desperate times here and there, but aside from his stench, he's a gas! (The good kind)

Four: Nudge, chatty, talky, and just all round HYPER! This girl has a tendency to get a bit ahead of the game way way way before the game was even thought of, but her frantic personality just keeps all of us more so on our toes than ever. She twitched as she mumbled incoherent babbles to herself in her sleep.

Four: Iggy, being the blind one as he was, he was far from "incompetent" as others may think. Sure, we all had tragic pasts, but his left him not only scarred mentally, but also physically. And he lived every day, reminded… I seriously gave him major props! Because, aside from his own personal battles with self-pity, he was chipper… happy… hopeful.

And last of all, Five: Fang.

I gulped as my eyes the dark bird kids. I started from his long lanky legs, garbed in black pants… Dickies, no doubt. Scuffed and torn from lack of care. His dark shirt fit him… heck, all of him was dark, personality included, but there was something, something that showed that he too held the hope we all strived to keep buried inside. And they were staring straight at me.

"Morning," he stated, his voice soft, rough, and low.

I stared, gulping slightly.

_Don't be rude._

"Hey," I tore my eyes away from his dark orbs, "We should get up and start going."

He watched me for a moment, before standing up, hopping over to where Iggy was, and gently began shaking his shoulder to get him up.

I turned back to the sunrise, no longer taunting me, but up and ready for an adventure. I sighed and gazed back over to my flock, all rubbing their eyes, whining and complaining slightly.

Yes, they were my flock, my hope… and ultimately, my life.


	2. Erasers and Back to School We Go!

Packing up was my least favorite part about setting camp, even if it was in a tree, let me tell you it makes it all the more a hassle. I shoved our blankets and contents of our minor breakfast, which consisted of mainly energy bars and a carton of milk, into my red backpack with haste.

"Where to?" Nudge was probably the first to actually say something to me that morning… well, besides the traditional 'Good Morning, what's for breakfast?'

"Well," I sighed, zipping my backpack up and fixing my eyes forward, "I was thinking we head south. With winter coming up and all, it would probably be a good idea to get somewhere warmer."

"We'll be just like real birds," Gazzy giggled, before adding sarcastically, "Exciting."

"South sounds great, Max," Angel glared at her brother, then turned to me, "Can we go to Mexico, you think? I've always wanted to see what it's like there."

"I don't think we'll have to go that far down south, babe." I smiled lightly, "We'll start with…" I thought for a minute, "El Paso, and work our way down from there, k?"

Deciding for the flock was part of my job, and I took it seriously. So, whether or not they liked it we were going to El Paso, Texas.

_Why Texas? _The Voice queried.

"Sounds warm enough," I whispered to my voice, as I picked my backpack up and spreading my wings.

I gazed over my flock again, to ensure that they were ready to take off and they were, of course.

"Ready?" I asked.

All of them nodded in unison.

"Take off!" I yelled.

All our wings unfurled, all of us pushed off and in mere seconds all of us were in the air.

Flying was completely and utterly unexplainable by means of words. It's kind of a needed to be experienced type of thing.

All of us flew by order of age.

I was the highest, being as how I am the oldest and the leader. Next was Fang, then Iggy, Followed by Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel, who had Total.

"Everyone doing okay?" I screamed down at them.

All of them methodically flicked a wing, signifying that they were all fine… well all except the obvious (AKA Total) and Fang.

_Ever the rebellious one, isn't he?_

"You just now figured that one out?" I rolled my eyes, "I think I'm beginning to doubt your extensive knowledge."

_I never expected you to think I had an extensive knowledge, Max. And that was just an observation not a real question. _

"Okay, okay," I sighed, "I got it."

_You haven't heard the half of it, Max. You have a job to do, you know. Saving the world is __**your **__destiny. Soon, you're going to be forced to, if you don't do it willingly._

"Are you threatening me?" I smirked at the challenge.

_Not me, but Ari would be more than happy to collect you and discard your precious flock._

"He touches my flock and he'll be dying… again."

_I wouldn't be so sure of myself if I were you._

"Yeah, but you're not me…" I shook my head and looked down to see Fang giving me a brief quizzical look.

"Talking to yourself again?" He raised a brow.

"The Voice," I pointed to my head.

He nodded looking back down, not saying another word about it.

"We should turn slightly west to avoid the dust storm in northern New Mexico." Iggy reported up to me, "But other than that the weather's great."

I smiled to the blind kid. You know for being blind, he seemed to sees a lot of things a lot better than others.

"Thanks Igg!" I yelled, grateful for his skills.

"When do we turn, Fang?" I asked.

"I'll let you know when we get there," he drowned.

"Or you could tell me now," I lowered my speed and carefully came up beside him, "I'd rather know ahead of time. Instead of depending on-"

"What?" He glared my way, "Me?"

"You know that's not what I meant," I snapped back.

"Fine," he turned back toward the direction he was flying and sniffed the air lightly.

I waited for him to spit it out. Keeping my glare pointed intently at his dark head.

"Thirty minutes," his eyes remained glued ahead, "Give or take."

"Thank you," I stated slowly, "Now, was that so bad?"

I pushed off not expecting an answer.

"Yes."

Of course, I still got one.

Shaking my head, I sighed.

_I feel must warn you, though you probably should have already expected this._

"What now," I growled, annoyed. Getting daily nags about 'saving the world' and all that was getting frustrating.

_There are-_

"**ERASERS!" **

My eyes instantly shot down toward Iggy, who was screaming at the top of his lungs.

Inhaling sharply, I scanned the area to find nothing, but clear blue skies ahead of us.

"Iggy?" I asked, confused.

"Behind us!" He shot down followed by Angel.

Fang and Gazzy spun around to meet them head on.

I turned next…

_Too late._

Suddenly, I was grappled by the waist by a hairy slobbering monster with wings.

"Miss me, MAX!" Something growled into my chest.

I hissed, officially pissed off, "Don't flatter yourself, ARI!"

Considering the fact that we were ambushed, I must say we were doing very well. With the Erasers outnumbering the freaky flying kids 4 to 1, it was… well, you could do the math.

All of us were pretty busy.

Ari had me by the waist while the rest were after the rest of the flock.

"Dive!" I hollered around the drooling beast.

Angel and Total spiraled down into a clearing in a forest, followed by Gazzy and Iggy.

Hordes of Erasers piled after them.

Just as I expected the kids were maneuvering with grace while half of the mutt population collided with trees.

Nudge and Fang were still punching away at the group that decided to stay in the air with us.

"Pay attention, Max!" Ari snapped in my stomach as he wretched his body deeper into my stomach.

I kicked up and my knee collided with his chest.

"Oof!" He exhaled.

His mind on the pain currently in his stomach was a perfect opportunity.

Loosening his grip on me, I had just enough room to do a round house kick to his fat snarling face.

"Pay attention, Ari." I snapped back and stifled a chuckle, as he tumbled back a bit.

Suddenly, a sharp pain started in my back and ended in my head.

Spinning around, I met face to face with my mirror image.

"Maximum Ride," My face smiled back at me.

"Wh-What did you-" I asked raising my hand behind me to feel my spine between my wings.

A syringe.

Ripping it out, I roared with anger and threw it at her, facing myself back toward Ari, who had regained himself and was making his way toward me.

"You're pathetic!" He howled smashing into me once again.

The world started spinning a bit too fast for my taste as I watched it all fly by.

I punched him.

He swung at me.

My knee connected with his stomach.

His fist clipped my left eye.

So slow, yet so quickly.

I looked over just to see Fang finishing off with his group of Erasers and attempting to make his way toward me. Max II, interfered and soon both he and her were going at it.

Nudge was pushed downward toward the rest of the flock; while Ari and I stayed way up above in the clouds.

"You're making this way too easy, Max." Ari snickered, "I was expecting better from you."

"Well, you cheated, Ari." I snorted back, "And it's not over yet!"

I head butted him and was relieved to feel his weight off of me.

Glancing down at Fang, I watched as he retreated back into the forest, as well, leaving the nasty dog breath and I alone.

"You can fly, right Max?" Ari slowly circled me.

"Nah, these wings are just for show…" I spat sarcastically. The world was spinning, I could hear my heart beat getting slower, "You know, feathers are all the rage now a days."

"Well, then," He positioned himself behind my right wing, "LET'S FLY, MAX!"

Before I knew it he was on my back, his forearm digging into my throat, his knee was pinching my right wing to myself.

"Damn it!" I cursed. How had I let myself get in that position? It happened so fast.

_Or whatever it was they gave you is making you slow._

I struggled against him as our weight combined pulled us downward toward the heavy canopy of trees.

The ground started getting closer and closer.

"Get off!" I yelled, pointless as it was. My vision started to blur and my heart started pounding slower and slower. I was… numb.

'What's happening?' I thought to myself.

_Lack of oxygen perhaps? Or maybe the fact that they just drugged you with generous amounts of morphine?_

'Morphine?'

"Stay with me, Max!" Ari growled in my ear, "I want you awake for this."

Closer and closer the ground got.

Faster and Faster I lost myself.

Slower and slower the world seemed.

Before long we were no longer surrounded by vast blue, but suffocating green.

SNAP!

My face was full of dirt.

I could hear the gasps of my flock.

The sobs of Nudge and Angel.

The silence of Gazzy and Iggy.

The single, nearly silent whisper from Fang…"Max."

I lifted my face from the ground.

Something hot and sticky fell on my face.

I didn't even feel the weight of Ari lift off of me and the hurt that should have retched though my body wasn't there…

There was nothing, but that sticky hot liquid…

Blood… So much blood.

Stretching to reach back to my right wing, I barely lifted my body from the ground. My hand touched something sharp and jagged. Looking back I saw crimson… and white…

My wing!

The bone had snapped clear through the skin of my wing. Blood gushed everywhere, and the faces around me were sick and silent.

My face twisted up in disgust and horror.

"Smell that, Max?" Ari crouched down beside me, "That's what _real_ blood smells like… what _your _blood smells like."

"Bastard!" I snapped swiping out at him, "You… you!"

"For once, you have no snappy come back," Ari chuckled, "Wow."

"SHUT UP!" Fang jumped at him only to be held down but three other Erasers.

Slashing and cussing, Fang fought. He fought until they injected him…

Then Iggy…

Then Nudge…

Followed by Gazzy and Angel…

Total was snatched up and caged.

They were all caged.

"Let them go," I whimpered as I looked up and my dear little brother. "Please, Ari."

"Jeb wants you all," Ari whispered into my ear, "I'm sorry Maximum, this is how it has to be. Jeb wants you back at the school…"

I looked up and for a moment I could see a twinge of pain… regret maybe?

"I'm sorry." He repeated.

"Like hell you are," I spat at him, before he stood.

"Let's go," he turned from me, as the two other Erasers gathered my broken body up.

We were caught…

_And back to School we go…_


	3. Pain is Gain, Right?

Cages…

I hate cages.

So cramped…

So demeaning…

Oh, how could I forget… SO Depressing…

I saw many cages some lay out all alone, filled with "extra" body parts of failed experiments… others stacked, filled with either dying test subjects or those that were just too pointless to even bother with.

Sneering at the line up of body containment devices, I growled inwardly. Walking slowly beside the cart, which held my life… my flock, I took a moment to glance at them.

The closest one to me was Fang. He sat huddled up in his cage, eyes forward. Still… Emotionless… Stone-like.

Underneath him was a shivering Angel. Every ten minutes or so, she'd sob silently, then go back into her whimpering state... My baby.

I sighed and tried to place my hand near her cage only to have it smacked away by an Eraser.

"Get moving!" The hairy beast growled before pushing me in a VERY uncomfortable spot on my back.

"AAAHH!" I'm sorry, I couldn't hold that one back… You know, being drugged in the first place was a bummer, but I preferred it when I didn't feel my broken bone sliding in and out of its place beneath (other times outside) my skin.

Fang instantly snarled, hurling himself at the bars to get to the bastard who struck me.

"Down boy," Ari warned, punching the cage Fang resided in.

"Ari," I snapped, regaining back my normally composed appearance.

He growled slightly. Watching me for a few uncomfortable seconds, before turning to the Eraser who started all this and slapping him in the back of his head.

The drooling ball of fur was sent sailing across the hall.

"No one touches her until we get to the boss, except for me, understand?"

"Yes, Sir." The soft little cry from the jerk sorta put a sick smile on my face.

Moving forward, I looked to the rest of my flock. The rest seemed to be taking all of the scenery back in… all of the blood, the pain, the torture, the nightmares… it was like it was all coming back to us… our pasts were mocking us. Shows how 'great' of a home we had, huh? Who wouldn't miss it?

"I don't miss it," A small voice sighed, "I don't miss it at all, Max."

I looked down to see Angel whimper up at me...that look right there hurt to look at. Then again everything was kinda hurting now, but the sounds where getting to me the worst.

Drip, drip, drip…

**My blood.**

Dum dum… dum dum…

**My heart.**

Pit, pat, pit, pat…

**My feet.**

"I'm scared."

**My flock.**

"I know, baby," I choked down a hard sob. Tears began to brim my eyes…

We were really back… I couldn't save them from those freaks… I couldn't keep them from this twisted place… HOW THE HELL AM **I** SUPPOSE TO SAVE THE WORLD IF I CAN'T TAKE CARE OF MY OWN FLOCK!

'Was…' I thought bitterly, 'I was gonna save the world; I was hope… now I'm just used meat… again.'

"_You're not, Max."_

I jumped… unsure of whether that was Angel or my voice.

"You're so much more than that."

Angel…

I almost sighed with relief.

_You will forever be the key to saving the world, Max. You can't outwit fate!_

Sigh… The Voice.

If cages weren't bad enough to be on my hate list, I knew that operating rooms held a permanent spot that will never be altered.

Yet, here I stood... alone.

In my traditional hospital gown, with a shredded wing, and a recessive temper… no less. I was seriously about to let them dissect me. Reason being, you ask. My flock was in their custody, sealed off somewhere or equally being tested on again. I couldn't tell.

I was weak at the moment, and if nothing else: A girl knows when she's down. Erasers were tough on an average normal basis, but being surrounded in _their_ territory? I'm brave, but I'm not dumb.

"Good girl, Max," An all too familiar voice filled the room.

My body immediately cringed. It's bad enough that overly clean smell was printed in my keen nose, and that the dreaded operating table nearly sent me into puking fits. But knowing that I was standing here, next to the place that may soon be the last thing I ever see. (Not to mention, putting my body in their CLEARLY incapable hands) Memories flooding back to me just topped the cake.

"Since when have I ever been known to be the good girl?" I sputtered, slightly loosing my normal harshness to my words, "Surely, you should know me by now, Jeb."

Jeb looked at me with a content smile.

Oh, how I hate that man. His stupid 'I-care' act he always claimed was slightly believable at first, but you know being stabbed in the back kills that whole thing. Still, no matter what he did he still spouted on about loving us, yet look who's standing here…. dressed as a good for nothing white coat just like the rest of them. Hypocrite.

"Well, considering we finally have you in our custody," He strolled around the room picking up a syringe, "I'd say you were very good for us, indeed."

"Uh, News flash," I rolled my eyes, secretly keeping my attention on that needle in his hand, "You're guys cheated. Given a fair fight, I coulda kicked everyone of their hairy a-"

"Now, now Max," He stopped in front of me, "Don't be upset. My, my, my, look at that wing."

"Touch it and I'll give you a demonstration of what fair fighting is all about." I droned.

Jeb smiled lightly, "I need to, and you've got a malfunction that clearly needs-"

"It's called a broken wing!" I snarled, "I'm not a computer or some device. Call it what it is, and then get the hell out of my face. You are not touching it!"

"Max, we have no choice," Jeb's smile dropped, "We don't have much time."

"Ah, that whole saving the world jazz, right?" I nodded my head, "How could I forget?"

Jeb closed his eyes for a moment, "Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of self-preservation and how there is a time limit on certain… life-spans."

Life-spans?

Then suddenly it clicked… sorta.

"Are you saying I'm-"

He moved at me, I don't know what it was, but I didn't budge. No duck, no punch, no kick, nothing; just the sick feeling of cold, hard metal piercing soft, shivering flesh.

"I can't give you an anesthetic, but this will help a little." He continued talking.

"Wh-What?" I looked down at my arm where I had been punctured, "I'm going cold turkey?"

"Sort of," He looked at me sadly, "Get on the bed, Max. You're toughing this out with only a small dose of left over Codeine."

"Glorified tylenol?" I gaped, slightly feeling a bit light headed, "What the hell?"

"Max, you're out dated. Time's ran up," Jeb explained, grabbing my shoulder and leading me toward the bed, "The Company won't pay, let alone deal with expired test subjects. Codeine is all we can offer."

"Expired," I breathed heavily.

It hit… and it hit HARD. Test subjects were limited in life… and my time was nearing its end. Feeling a bit nauseous from more than the drugs, I swiftly positioned myself face down on the bed.

"Sorry, Max. This is your last run," He sighed, "We patch this wing up the best we can with what we got, you save the world, and then end off your time with a bang. How's that sound?"

"Peachy-keen," I muttered sarcastically, my speech slurred... the whiteness of the walls slowly began to take a black tint to it. I was gonna die, in this hell hole?

A drill started for a moment and I braced myself clenching my eyes tightly together.

Counting the seconds never hurt more.

One…

WIRRRRRRR!

Two…

WIRRRRRRR!

Thr-

The drill stopped… and there was nothing, but silence.

Was I dead?

Opening one eye slowly, I caught sight of a white wall again…

"Oh, and Max," Jeb finally spoke, "Brace yourself… this is going to definitely hurt."

WIRRRRRRRR!

My vocal cords never knew such strain…

"….. !"


End file.
